A Priest's Perspective
by gawilliams
Summary: Booth's Priest, Father Mitch, offers his perspective on the relationship between Booth and Bones.
1. Chapter 1

_This one is different. I have written in some of my stories mention of Booth's priest, who I call Father Mitch. I've always wondered what that man's perspective is on the possible relationship of Booth and Bones. Well, after hemming and hawing about it, I decided to finally write a first person perspective of that, using a written commentary by Father Mitch. I hope you enjoy it. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

In order not to break the sanctity of the confessional, I am putting this in writing so that I may in some small way confess to my thoughts and actions over the course of time. No one will ever read this, but the comfort to my soul that I am expressing all of this will be a balm to my personal tribulations in dealing with the confidential nature of the confessional.

I am sure that at some point my Brothers in Christ, my fellow Priests, have all had a parishioner that stood out from the rest. In good ways. In ways that makes a good priest want to thank God for the privilege of knowing that there are indeed examples in the human race that shine with God's love, and also God's grace and forgiveness. I have one such parishioner. His name is Seeley Joseph Booth. I have known him since we were in college. He chose the military, and subsequently the FBI for his career, while I chose the Seminary, and subsequently was ordained a Priest in the Roman Catholic Church. It was a very pleasant surprise when I was transferred to head my own parish in Washington, DC and found that Seeley Booth was one of my parishioners.

In the beginning of the renewal of our friendship, he had a hard edge about him, one that hadn't been there in college. Of course I knew about the abuse he suffered as a child, but his Grandfather, Hank Booth, bless him, had given Seeley another path to follow, with the love and care that a child deserves, and can honor later in life. No, this hard edge was born of years in the military and taking on missions as a sniper, and later having a child born out of wedlock, all culminating in a gambling problem. He had a very good job with the FBI, though, so I was confident that this fine man would move in the right direction soon. We all stumble, but with God's Grace, we all have the ability to pick ourselves up and continue on in the right manner.

About eight years ago, though, something changed in Seeley. Or, rather, someone. He began to mention a woman when he would come in to discuss things with me, or when he would come to confession. He wouldn't discuss who she was, and I didn't even know her name, outside of the nickname of Bones he had given her. In fact that was one of the first things he confessed in regards to her. The name. He confessed that he got pleasure from her reactions to his calling her that. Nothing too sinful, but Seeley is one of those who strives for a genuinely clean conscience, thus his confessions are _**always**_ somewhat detailed.

I will never forget the first time he ever mentioned "his" Bones. It was an early afternoon and I was placing new hymnals throughout the chapel. Seeley came barreling in, an excited nervous tension rolling off of him. I knew right away that something had happened. He didn't make his way to the confessional, though, so I figured that he simply wanted to either commune with God, or have a discussion with his friend. It was the latter, though he did spend some time in silent, reflective prayer after our conversation.

I have to confess that his opening statement shocked me. "I've found the one," he told me with a glint of certainty in his eyes as he said it. It wasn't just a simple solitary "one", though. It was the proverbial, stop the presses _**THE ONE**_. We talked for some time, and I slipped into the former role of close friend for this one. I don't think that it is right to deny one the wisdom of a friend by always staying in the rigid role of a priest. It would be denying the very humanity that God has blessed us all with, including priests. Of course I never lose sight of my vows and the role that God has given me in the world, but I want to be able to reach beyond that, and Seeley deserves that outreach. It is a balancing act at times, but one I gladly perform.

I was shocked to find that the woman he considered _**THE ONE**_ was so much the opposite to my good friend. Seeley Booth, a devoted, if not completely devout, Catholic falling for a self-professed Atheist who preferred logical science to Faith in God and God's plan. I was also not terribly shocked to find that after the case that they had worked together they had had a falling out. Seeley was in a bad place, but I was pleased to note that he now had the desire to end his gambling. It seemed that this Bones had given him a purpose, and that purpose was enough to end his addiction. We spent several hours discussing all of this, and Seeley left determined to see her again at some point. I had little doubt that he would.

_A/N: This is the end of chapter one. I have several chapters in mind for this one to look at Booth and Bones from Father Mitch's perspective. I hope you enjoyed this beginning. Gregg._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for the great response to the first chapter to this story. As I originally stated, I have several chapters in mind, and this is the first of them. I hope you all enjoy it. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Sorry about the break in my narrative, but I had to take time to do the work I have been called to do, and that is meeting the needs of my parishioners. I just finished some time in the confessional. It is such an uplifting experience, and one that I feel truly blessed to be a part of. As a conduit to God for the needs of my parishioners, I find confession to be my highest office, among all the other weighty responsibilities I hold.

Speaking of confession, it's time to get back to Seeley Booth. Looking back on the short bit I have written thus far, my good friend has found the focal point to move forward in a positive way. One week after that conversation he came to me in confession and admitted to having quit gambling, and become a part of a Gamblers Anonymous group. He went to his first meeting the evening before. Of course, being Seeley, he confessed to his impure thoughts regarding the woman he met. His Bones. I tried to discuss with him that his actions and thoughts were two different concepts, but he deftly turned his confession into one of covetousness. I have to admit that Seeley is one of the most intelligent individuals I have ever known, and his knowledge of theology is quite strong. We had a lengthy discussion about the nature of his covetousness, and I must admit that, while I am no Saint from my time before the Seminary, his covetous mind caused me to blush, eyes widen, and cross myself several times. For the first time I blurted what any man would say to a friend. "_You, my friend, are a pervert!_" Then I proceeded to hand out a record number of Hail Mary's and Our Father's. That, and a firm lecture on the respect a woman deserves, and that his "thoughts" didn't cut it.

The next ten months were a blur, really. Seeley came to confession regularly, and like clockwork he would confess to his thoughts about "Bones". I knew, from his own admission, that he hadn't seen her since their falling out after that initial case, but he was fixated on her. Then the inevitable happened. Seeley came into the chapel with a wide smile on his face, and headed right into the confessional. I proceeded to hear his confession. It was a doozy. Booth had found a way to work with Bones again. This time I found out from him that Bones was none other than the famous Dr. Temperance Brennan, whose first novel I had just read a few weeks before. He confessed to his subterfuge with the Homeland Security office at the airport, and his browbeating her into working with him. He also chuckled at how she had turned the tables on him and blackmailed him into full access for the whole case.

I questioned him about the ethics of such a move on both parties, namely the blackmail, but he passed it off as it working for them. I wondered about that, but put it out of my mind when he launched, once more, into the covetous thoughts he was having of her. I was decidedly concerned as he was then involved with a very nice lawyer, Tessa I believe, and this was working dangerously close to adultery. Not adultery in the literal sense, but adultery in mind and spirit. We had a long talk about that, and while he expressed his own concerns, and a genuine desire not to hurt Tessa, he was uncertain about his long term feelings regarding Bones. When we concluded, I charged him with the usual excessive number of Hail Mary's and Our Father's. For Seeley, I knew they would make him truly think of his sins, and work to lessen them in the future. Now if only it were that easy for the subconscious!

Over the months that followed I was able to get a real sense that Seeley was becoming as protective of Bones and her team of "Squints" as he was of his family. I had to laugh when he related the Christmas disaster when they were all locked in the lab because one individual wasn't wearing a mask when the biological sensors went off. His threat to shoot the two hapless souls if it was fatal was obviously taken as a joke by them, but Seeley was serious. I talked with him about such violent thoughts, and he was contrite. I charged him to find something kind to say to them in the near future. He wasn't happy, to say the least.

I am proud of Seeley in that situation, though. He was confronted with a woman who by her sincere beliefs does not believe in God, yet he was sure enough of his own faith, that he was willing to discuss the subject with her, and in the end brought about a little of the Miracle of the season within her. I've always felt that Seeley would have been a brilliant priest, and a real comfort to his parish if he had even went down that path. Fortunately he has worked for his Faith in other ways, and successfully, even if by small, incremental steps. Faith is difficult, and at times demanding, yet Seeley handles it well, and offers a genuine hope to those he chooses to discuss his Faith with. I asked him to bring her to Mass one time, and the look on his face was priceless. He shook his head in refusal, saying he'd rather avoid being excommunicated. I left it at that, but I had little doubt that he would one day come to Mass with her in tow.

There are times I wonder if my preoccupation with Seeley, and by extension, ever kept me from fully dealing with the needs of my parishioners. Sometimes I can almost sense, palpably, when Seeley is going to be coming to confession, and I look forward to it. In some instances I worry that I may be turning into some sort of voyeur. I am a man of God, a Priest in his Church, yet I must confess to enjoying my time with Seeley and listening to his "impure thoughts" regarding Bones. Naturally I am celibate, and have no desire to change that as I believe in the chastity of the clergy, but I can't deny the all too human thrill in hearing what the mind of Seeley Booth comes up with. I always confess to my confessor, and repent for my sins, and do my penance faithfully, but I still wonder.

I finally got to meet the mysterious Bones one day a few months after the Christmas Lockdown incident. I hadn't seen Seeley for a few days and went to see him in his office. Nothing official, just an invitation to lunch on Saturday and maybe a little one on one game of basketball. There were times when two old friends need to be able to drop everything official and just be two friends having fun. There was a very beautiful woman in his office, and they looked like they were doing paperwork. When I knocked on the frame of the glass door to his office Seeley almost jumped out of his skin. It was rather humorous, but trying to keep a mantle of aloofness I simply raised a brow, questioning him silently as to who the lovely woman was. The sudden emergence of sweat on his brow told me all I needed to know and he stumbled through an introduction.

I took pity on him and told her that it was a pleasure to meet her, and that I had heard a great deal about her from Seeley. The sudden coughing fit from Seeley made the subtle dig all the more enjoyable, though I knew I would be spending some extra time with my confessor after the visit. Much to Seeley's horror the very brilliant woman began questioning me about all manner of theological questions. It was obvious the woman was well versed in Catholic theology, and also, to my utter surprise, was well versed in the works of St. Thomas Aquinas, which I had received my doctoral degree in, and had mostly completed a habilitation which would allow me to be a professor of theology in most European Universities. She had very logical disputations, many of which were original and intriguing, but I must admit to having held my own and not disappointing my fellow theologians on that day. All the while I could see Seeley wanting nothing more that to sink into the floor and die of mortification. The look on his face when I invited her to Mass at any time was another priceless image to remember. It got even better when she said that maybe she would one day, on the condition that we could continue our "illuminating" discussion at some point. I assured her that we could.

The next time I saw Seeley he admitted to being worried that I had a bad impression of his Bones and that he was one step closer to excommunication. I assured him that that was not so, and that he could rest easy, but he seemed a bit unwilling to buy it.

During that first year of their working partnership one thing came up that told me about his true feelings for Bones. He'd made mention of her casual views about sex and sexual relations, which was worrisome enough, but when she began to actively attempt to try and find suitable "dates" online Seeley was fit to be tied. There was just something in his tone of voice, as he only discussed that aspect of her, and his opinions, in confession, that told of a real jealousy, as well as fear for her safety. I called him on it and the inherent dishonesty of not being up front with her about his feelings for her, but he was not ready.

It had only been close to two years, but I was becoming emotionally invested in the developing relationship between these two. I must admit to having a number of confessions with my confessor in which I had to admit to some rather candid subconscious thoughts in the aftermath of any conversations with Seeley when we discussed Bones. The amazing thing in all this is that the most interesting, and disturbing, things were yet to come.

_A/N: I have decided that each chapter will be a very broad, but interesting, look at the developing dynamics of the Booth and Bones relationship per season. This one was Father Mitch's perspective on the broad elements of Season One. I hope you enjoyed it. Gregg._


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for the wonderful responses to this story. I do have the chapters mapped out and plan on posting one every other day. I hope you enjoy this new one. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

That first summer after the end of the first year of Seeley and Dr. Brennan's partnership was an interesting one. For a good bit of it Dr. Brennan was gone on a dig somewhere in another part of the world, while Seeley was here in DC. Needless to say, I spent a great deal of time with him in confession as he worked through his demons surrounding the good Dr. He also had a quandary.

Now ordinarily I do not interfere in the wholly secular affairs of my parishioners, but Seeley had a real headache to deal with. It seemed that the Jeffersonian had decided to create a new position in the Medico-Legal Lab that would oversee the work done with the FBI. As would be expected, Dr. Brennan let it be known she wanted the job, and then promptly left on her dig. Most would assume that it would be an obvious choice considering her general leadership of the Squints, as Seeley calls them, but it wasn't to be that simple.

According to Seeley, Dr. Brennan had one fatal flaw. Not to him, mind you, as he found it rather endearing, but she had almost no social skills when it came to working with others. In the job that was being created, the social skills would be a must, unfortunately for her. On top of that one other person was applying for the position, an old friend of Seeley's, and while I did not know it at the time, this old friend was a former lover of his by the name of Dr. Camille Saroyan. Seeley had been asked his opinion on who should have the job and that is why he came to me. I must admit that if it wasn't for the sanctity of the confessional, I would write a book about Seeley Booth and Dr. Temperance Brennan. It would no doubt be a best seller and the charities that would receive the royalties would be firmly set financially from then on.

Seeley had a legitimate concern. He was in love with Dr. Brennan, though I don't even think he knew that yet, and here he was being asked to choose between two women who he cared about in terms of a recommendation on a job. In the end, after a great deal of personal anguish, and a number of conversations with me, and one long session in confession, he spoke up for Dr. Brennan, but recommended Dr. Saroyan. He spent some time in the chapel after that praying that Dr. Brennan never found out about what he had recommended. As he put it, he could "kiss the Boys goodbye" if she ever found out. I still chuckle in amusement at his fears on that one.

As it turned out he wasn't able to contact Dr. Brennan and let her know the outcome of the job placement, so when she got back she was shocked to find that she hadn't gotten the job. Naturally she blamed it on Seeley, especially when she found out that Dr. Saroyan was an old "friend" of his. According to Seeley, Brennan knew right away without even asking that he and Saroyan had been lovers. Needless to say, she hadn't been terribly happy.

Loyalty. It's an interesting concept, and also an extremely difficult one. We all must have loyalty to something, or someone, in our lives, or there would be no genuine purpose. As a Priest I preach, and pray for, a loyalty to God and the teachings of his son, Jesus Christ. That's the spiritual. In the secular, I maintain that we must maintain a loyalty and fidelity to our family and friends first and foremost. Loyalty to a job, or a superior, is good, but only goes so far as compared to family and friends. Seeley had always lived by those standards, and now he was facing the difficulties inherent in such loyalty. That is what made this second year of their partnership so difficult for both of them.

In the years since that time I have had the chance to discuss a number of things with Dr. Brennan. Of course, she does not seek me out as a Priest, or go to confession, as she is still a professed Atheist, but she has, to my honor, considered me a friend and someone she can talk to. Shortly after her and Seeley finally got together, romantically, she opened up with me about why she thought it took them so long to get together. Interestingly enough, she boiled it down to that second year of their partnership.

Early on in that second year Seeley proved his loyalty to her when she and Dr. Saroyan were having "difficulties". Actually that was a mild description. The way Seeley put it, if he hadn't told Dr. Saroyan who was the one **_really_** in charge of the Squints, namely Dr. Brennan, then she could pretty much kiss the Squint Squad goodbye, along with him. Peace was restored, but from then on there was an uneasiness between he and Brennan. Brennan wasn't sure who to count on, and the signals seemed to be mixed.

Of course Seeley didn't help matters when he began to have a physical relationship with Dr. Saroyan. Naturally, Dr. Brennan was angry about it, though she hid it well. Seeley knew that he was making a serious mistake given the almost daily confessions I was the confessor of. Now here is where I can confirm where Seeley's heart was, even back then. He wasn't confessing to impure "covetous" thoughts, but to adultery. The kind of adultery he was worried about when he was with Tessa a year before. As a Priest I must come down on the side that he was committing a form of adultery, and I certainly can't approve of his sex outside of the bonds of marriage, but I can also understand as a man myself how he could feel that this was a needed outlet given that he and Brennan were on such shaky ground.

It was around this time that a couple of very important events took place. I heard about them from both parties, and they were pretty similar in the rendition, with the exception of the rationale for the final event. Of course I know all this now, but then, all I really had, for the most part was what I gleaned from Seeley, both as a friend, and as a confessor.

What I gathered was that the tension, from a variety of sources, between them, was beginning to be felt by Seeley to a large degree. In addition to that one of the team had been poisoned. Finally Seeley cracked and shot a clown head on top of a truck. I must confess to having a bit of a laughing fit at the image that came to mind when he told me that, which I confessed to that afternoon, much to the amusement of my confessor. But that's beside the point. The main point is that a long delay in Seeley and Brennan possibly becoming a couple occurred.

In the aftermath of the poisoning Seeley drew some arbitrary line. I can understand why he did so, as he was thinking of the ones he cared for and their safety. But it did put a wall between them that, in the long run, was to hurt Brennan more than Seeley. I must admit that that deduction is my own, and it is from hearing both of them, separately, discussing the dreaded **_LINE_**. I can only imagine what Seeley would have said if he had known then that Brennan was so close to actually approaching him about possibly exploring a closer relationship. He probably knows by now, but it would be interesting to know what he would have done then.

During his time recovering from his clown shooting incident, Brennan worked with another FBI Agent, an Agent Sullivan, or Sully. I'm sure you can guess what came next. At some point during that temporary partnership Sullivan asked Brennan out on a date. When the partnership was over she accepted, and for the next month or so I had to listen to Seeley drive himself nuts over the whole thing. The worst part was that he could literally be _hoist on his own petard_. Sullivan had asked if there was something between him and Brennan, and Seeley told him no. Seeley beat himself up over it for quite some time after that.

On her part, she has since told me that she was distancing herself from Seeley in the aftermath of his LINE statement, and Sullivan was an easy distraction, though she is honest in saying that she cared for the man while they were together. Even Booth, who is not a fan of his old friend anymore, agrees that he was a good guy.

That second year of partnership ended on a rather bizarre twist. Seeley, doing his job, arrested Brennan's father. Not only did Brennan not bludgeon Seeley to a pulp for that, she hugged him in front of a church full of guests at the wedding of their friends. Not only that, but the two getting married took off without getting married, leaving Seeley and Brennan in front of everyone with a minister there behind them. I admit to wishing I had been there to see that! God forgive me, but this voyeurism is fun and amusing at times. Sadly, this isn't the end of the tale, and at times this second year had a very far reaching, and sad, impact on what was to come. The one thing, though, that came through was the loyalty that these two special people have. A standard phrase in my line of work is "God works in mysterious ways." I think that my friend Seeley, and his long relationship/friendship/partnership with Brennan has proven the validity of that statement. At the very least I began to feel more and more like I was being drawn into a real life soap opera.

_A/N: As I mentioned before this confession by Mitch is one that touches the broad strokes of the relationship between Booth and Bones. The second season had so many dips and turns that only a few broad strokes to get to the impact of the year was possible if I wanted to keep this manageable. Also, the narrative was a bit more observational, with a little less of the Booth/Mitch interaction in order to set the scene for the interactions of the coming chapters. I hope you all enjoyed this. Gregg._


	4. Chapter 4

_I have been enjoying writing this one a very great deal, and I am thrilled that everyone is enjoying it just as much. This chapter gives Mitch's impression of what was going on in season 3. I hope you enjoy it. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Did I actually admit to that? A Soap Opera? Well, now that I've written it, I should be honest. I do watch soap operas. Not to get the thrill or titillation from them, but, rather, to be able to see what it is that influences people from an entertainment perspective. I do confess to this almost daily, as the images and thoughts that come to mind are somewhat similar to those that are created from hearing of Seeley's impure thoughts relating to Dr. Brennan. I wonder sometimes what my own confessor must be thinking of a parish priest such as myself.

I mentioned that the second year of the partnership demonstrated the loyalty that was there between the two of them, and by extension the whole team. Sadly, that loyalty was sorely tested when Dr. Brennan's young assistant, Zach, I believe his name was, accepted a call to go to Iraq and help with the identification of bodies. Dr. Brennan, it seems, was less than thrilled with the situation, and for some time appeared to blame Seeley for his having gone.

Now, I must come to Seeley's defense on this one. I try and not make judgments on events and actions that come before me, and in confession only do what I believe is required for the penitent to achieve absolution in the eyes of God. But in this case, I feel that Dr. Brennan was a bit unfair. The young man had come to Seeley and asked for advice. Seeley is not one to make light of anyone's honest convictions, or to try and disillusion them. He didn't try and stop Zach, but did warn him of what he was likely getting into.

Once Zach left, Dr. Brennan stayed in the lab, not going into the field to work with Seeley anymore. It tore at him, and from what I gather from recent conversations with Dr. Brennan, it had a negative effect on her, too. Seeley came to confession quite often that summer, and I felt his anguish to a profound degree. He honestly didn't know what to say to her to make things right between them.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, as the case may be, they were presented with that I think was the most emotionally damaging case that they have ever had, though the recent sniper case of Broadsky certainly rivals this one. An old legend, cult figure actually, the Gormagon, presented himself and it became the responsibility of Seeley and Dr. Brennan to stop this cannibalistic madman. It brought them back together as a team, and the return of Zach at this time helped to heal some of the damage that had been done.

One of the things that a priest always confronts is the question of how much conversation, companionship, or a shoulder to lean on is enough? What if someone falls through the cracks despite your best efforts? Was there something more that could have been done? Something that could have been said to prevent what happens? I can imagine it's what psychiatrists go through as they watch the progress, or decline, in their patients. When it comes to Seeley, I always wonder what sort of impact I have made on him. The fact that he keeps coming back for advice, for absolution, and for a deeper connection to the world around him, and with God should be answer enough for me, but that particular year makes me wonder all the same.

Of course there were some humorous elements of the year in question. I will never forget the story Seeley told me of when, during the Christmas holiday, at Brennan's order, he had to sniff the butts of the fake Santas to find out who the murderer was. I will also always look with pride on the fact that in spite of that rather distasteful experience, he went out of his way to make sure that her family had a Christmas Tree at the prison yard to appreciate. Once more he had shown her the true meaning of the holiday, and also made one more lasting memory that will hopefully mold his son into the fine man that everyone sees the potential in him to be.

I know that I shouldn't have a laughing reaction to this one, but one afternoon Seeley came into the chapel and was in a huff. I asked what had happened and he blurted out that "Bones" was concerned that if he didn't start eating organic foods his penis would shrink! I have to confess that I did laugh outright at that one. Seeley didn't think it was a laughing matter, seeing as he thought the goods were in fine form as it was. It was another good example that his feelings for Brennan were deeper than he would admit or his "size" wouldn't have had such a hold on his thoughts. I went to confession that night for the rather "earthy" thoughts I had after that conversation. I think I have had to spend more time in confession because of Seeley than all the rest of my life combined.

I was also highly amused when Seeley let me know that at the beginning of their third year working together they were required to begin counseling with a very young psychologist named Sweets. As can be expected Seeley was less that thrilled at the whole situation, but as he was not about to do anything that would jeopardize his partnership with Brennan, he reluctantly would go to the counseling.

Halloween provided some entertaining confession time for Seeley. It seems that he got to spend time on a case with Brennan with her dressed in a Wonder Woman costume. Now I didn't see said costume, but to hear Seeley tell it, certain obvious pieces of her anatomy, which he has always been very appreciative of, were almost spilling out of the costume from the word go. Now that confession was one for the record books as I crossed myself and recrossed myself any number of times as Seeley's desire to be thorough would make a pornographic movie star blush. At least I think so as I do not know any porn stars, nor do I have any desire to unless it is in relation to helping them find salvation. I also called Seeley a pervert an inordinate number of times in that confession, and handed out what Seeley called an entire oil tankers worth (as opposed to the usual "boatload") of Hail Mary's and Our Father's.

During this time of interesting occurrences, which both admit brought them closer together, Seeley was also having a glimpse of what it's like to be a confidant to someone other than ones best friend. Zach had had some real troubles when he came back. His awkwardness, and lack of social skills, had caused problems for him. As a result he sought out Seeley for someone to talk to about what he had experienced, and also for some form of personal validation. Seeley took it seriously, but at the same time couldn't help but have the same musings I mentioned above. As it would turn out, his worries would be substantiated in the worst possible way. I hasten to add, though, that having given it some real thought, I don't believe that it would have turned out differently even if Seeley had been able to foresee the mounting emotional problems that poor Zach had.

During the year the team steadily worked on uncovering who the Gormagon and his apprentice were. They managed to capture one apprentice, but not the actual monster himself. By the end of the year in question, they were getting close. Some would call it too close, as if it were some cheesy movie line, or literary thriller. Seeley and Brennan were almost killed during a chase at one point. The anger at Brennan having been injured, however mildly, was disturbing, and I worked with him on letting go of that anger as much as possible. The emotions that such conversations brought forth in me caused me to seek out the counsel of my Bishop, a very understanding and compassionate man of God whose wise counsel has helped me on many occasions.

One aspect of the relationship between Seeley and Brennan that has touched me deeply is Seeley's unwavering efforts to draw her out and help her become comfortable in social settings. His success is a great testament to his heart and humanity. Sadly, tragedy struck at the moment of his greatest triumph of that year. It also shifted backwards a lot of the hard won closeness that had been developed during that year leaving the loyalty and not much more for some time.

You see, Seeley was shot, taking a bullet meant for Brennan. He didn't die, but the FBI said he did in order for him to draw out a criminal from an old case. It worked, but while Dr. Brennan had been on his short list of those to definitely notify that he was indeed alive, she wasn't notified. Sweets decided not to notify her. Her anger over it, and his not telling her himself, was something he has described to me as something he never wants to see again. The hurt, the humiliation, the fear, and the extreme vulnerability that he said was in her eyes, and her bearing, still haunts him several years later. The worst part of it all was that shortly thereafter they found out who the Gormagon was, but that his new assistant had been Zach.

The close of this third year of partnership was emotionally traumatic for everyone. Seeley was rightfully worried about Brennan, and he admitted that even though he worked to bring her comfort, the issue of his supposed death had put a strain between them that made it difficult. Not even the kiss they shared at Christmas was enough to keep the strain at bay once the revelation of Zach came. I have to confess that even I was worried about Seeley, and also Brennan, at that point.

_A/N: Well, there's another chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this one. I try and work on themes as I write Father Mitch's musings, so the season isn't looked at in a really chronological order, though it is a bit loosely. Thank you again for all the wonderful responses. Gregg._


	5. Chapter 5

_This one, despite being mapped out ahead of time, was more difficult to write. I want to thank everyone for the great reviews. They've made this story a real pleasure to write. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Despite being a priest, and one who is decidedly nonviolent, there are times when it comes to Seeley Booth when I just want to strangle him. By the beginning of the fourth year of their partnership I had, through many conversations and sessions in confession, become very emotionally invested in the potential romantic relationship between the two of them. I had looked with supreme favor on things making a very positive step forward in that regard when the two of them had concurrent invitations to speak at different events in London, and had decided to travel together and attend each other's presentations. Unfortunately it was not to be.

In the time since, I have heard both sides, and I can honestly say that both share the blame for what happened on that trip, and almost immediately after. But let's backtrack just a bit and discuss that summer just before this happened.

The placing of Zach in a mental institution had been a blow to the entire team, especially Brennan. Seeley was having a difficult time with it, not only because he was genuinely concerned for Brennan's well being, but because he would always bear the guilty conscience of a man who wonders if perhaps it wouldn't have happened if he had been able to just talk with the troubled young man more, or been looking for the signs of potential instability more closely. There hadn't been much in the way of cases that summer, and the two of them did not spend a lot of free time together, though Seeley did try to cajole her out of the lab quite a bit, without success. Hence my high hopes for the London trip. Two people who shared such an emotional bond couldn't help but see the signs on such a trip.

Sadly, it wasn't to be. During the trip a Forensic Anthropologist (I forget his name, though I prayed for his soul when I was told of his tragic demise, despite his less than sterling character) was enamored with Brennan and pressed her continuously to engage in a one night stand. Seeley, of course, was not very amused, and his anger must have showed as Brennan eventually turned the man down, and said it was because Seeley would not be happy. Unfortunately, Seeley did not take this Heaven sent opportunity to really talk with Brennan about his feelings, and as a result, his mixed signals once again confused her. It confused her to the point that once she returned she quickly took a lover, and also a platonic boyfriend. Two boyfriends at once! Seeley was, needless to say, a mess. His time in confession, and also the talks we had as friends, were fraught with his anguish over all that was happening. To this day, and it has been confirmed to some degree by Brennan herself, I feel that Brennan, in her own naive and careless manner, was attempting to see if she could handle the personal and professional rolled into one in order to see if it could work with Seeley. It was a disaster, and it set the tone for the entire year.

Have you ever been on the same path as someone in life, yet the communication seems to be on different wavelengths no matter what is going on? It's not uncommon, and sometimes happens for good reason, but in this case it was painful to see. I mentioned that I watch soap operas as a window into what people see as entertainment, though I know that it is a declining genre. I can see how it is so frustrating when characters are so blind to the reality in front of them, and I have seen just that in other shows I have watched. I get that same stomach churning feeling when I would see Seeley and Brennan during this particular year. I spent more time in confession with my own confessor during that year than any previous one.

The next monumental disaster on this slow moving friendship/partnership/hoped for relationship was when Brennan went on a date with Seeley's younger brother Jared. You remember the Saturday morning cartoons where there would be a raging bull, it's eyes flashing, steam snorting through it's nostrils, head lowered ready to charge and seriously maim or kill it's target? That's exactly how Seeley looked when he came in when that happened. I was rather nervous as I was sure that I would be contacting Hank Booth and informing him he had one less grandson and that the other one was in jail on murder charges. I had known all about Jared for many years, so the outcome wasn't a surprise, but the raw emotions that came about as a result of the one date, for both Seeley and Brennan, were deep, and harmful. Seeley was reduced to his greatest fear, namely Brennan seeing him as somehow unworthy, while Brennan faced her greatest fear, losing Seeley. It all worked out in the end, but not without a trauma that scarred them for some time to come.

The rest of the year was a seesaw of emotional elements. I found it quite amusing when Brennan showed up one day and asked to speak with me privately. Now that wasn't unusual in itself as occasionally she would drop by to discuss some esoteric philosophical point with me, but this visit was different. She wanted to discuss the concept of jealousy.

Jealousy? Brennan? You may think this a not unusual subject, but for her, who generally eschews any acknowledgment of the more common human emotional foibles, this was a major step forward in her emotional, and hopefully spiritual, development.

It turned out that while Seeley was the prime suspect in a murder investigation, the investigator, a woman named Perotta, I believe, showed some real interest in Seeley. According to Brennan the interest was decidedly sexual, and I in no way doubt her interpretation. Her quandary was that she was becoming very aware of how she felt about Seeley, and the idea of him seeking pleasure from another woman brought forth waves of what can only be called jealousy. I tried to reassure her, without divulging the feelings that Seeley had expressed about his not wanting anything to do with Perotta, and I think I calmed her somewhat, while at the same time showing her that jealousy was normal, and a healthy emotion, if balanced with a healthy respect for one another's right to choose their associates.

That wasn't the only run in with Agent Perotta for our duo. The images of some sort of love/hate triangle were causing me to attend confession with my confessor more diligently, but I persevered. Booth has had a bad back for some years, and when he asked Brennan to adjust him he slipped a disc or two, I think. He was on pain killers, Brennan was worried that she had permanently injured him, despite her knowledge to the contrary, and Perotta was once again working with Brennan and showing an interest in Seeley. I had a very interesting phone call from Seeley suggesting that I should install a dial-a-confession hot line, and then he proceeded to opine, poetically, on the salient features of Brennan's body that he found the most alluring, and sexually exciting. Even though the pain killers had him on a veritable high, I proceeded to let him know he was once again in pervert status and handed out the requisite penance of Hail Mary's and Our Father's. Once that conversation was over I laughed uproariously at the Dial-a-Confession idea and then went to confession to cleanse myself of the impure thoughts that this phone conversation/confession had induced in me. If I spend any time in Purgatory I will swear to Saint Peter that it was all Seeley's fault.

It was also during this year that I found out about a horrific event in the lives of Seeley and Brennan. It seemed that the year before the infamous Gravedigger had kidnapped and buried alive Brennan and one of the Squint Squad, a Dr. Hodgins, I believe. It all turned out well with a last minute rescue, but it had been so traumatic that neither had mentioned it to me in the year since it had happened. This year the Gravedigger kidnapped Seeley, and Brennan and the rest of their team worked their magic and discovered that it was the Federal Prosecutor in charge of the case who was the Gravedigger. Taking some extraordinary measures, they rescued Seeley. Seeley spent a lot of time in confession after that incident, and also a great deal of time just sitting and talking with me about how he was dealing with his demons, both pre and post meeting Brennan. I gained a great deal of hope when I saw one afternoon Brennan sitting quietly in a pew next to Booth as he prayed, her eyes fixed on him, her countenance one of protector and comforter.

It's inevitable in life that one feels the need to pass on what they know to a progeny. At least that is what happened to Brennan. To this day I can still see the stunned, shell shocked look on Seeley's face when he came in and told me in a daze that Brennan had directly asked for his sperm so that she could have a child. At first I thought he meant his sperm in the traditional, procreational sense, despite the moral issues involved. But no, he set me straight when he said she wanted him to donate to a fertility clinic and she would be artificially inseminated. And she had brought this up in their therapists office! I have to be honest and let you know that I did laugh out loud at that one, which got me a rather peevish glare from Seeley. He muttered something about priests needing to be understanding and sympathetic rather than laughing from the peanut gallery.

Eventually Seeley told her that while he would like to have a child with her, it had to be with him as a true Father. At the same time it was discovered that Seeley had a brain tumor. Brennan called me and had me come to the hospital before the surgery so that Booth could give his confession, and while she was not in the room, he asked for Last Rites. I administered them and then prayed silently for his soul, but also for the well being of Brennan on the chance that the surgery proved fatal. She would need all of God's love and grace if that came to pass.

_A/N: I am sorry for the long delay in getting this out, but personal illness and the difficulty of reducing the season to a few paragraphs, prevented me from posting this sooner. I hope you enjoyed this addition to the story. Gregg._


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you for the great response to the last chapter. I hope that this one, which is Mitch's impression of the fifth season, is equally appreciated. After that, it's the dreaded season six. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, the characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

There are times I seriously wonder what God is thinking when such incidents occur. A little vague? What incident, you ask? I'm talking about the situation between Seeley and Brennan. When I last wrote on this confession, Seeley had had a brain tumor and was operated on. That was fine. He did survive, but the reason for my original question of God's thoughts is that when he woke from a coma he asked Brennan who she was. Was that the confusion of the dream he told me about much later? Or was it a genuine case of temporary amnesia? I doubt I will ever know, but when I heard that he said that to her I almost screamed. Once again true love was being denied.

Over the next few months I spent a great deal of time with Seeley, both in confession and in simple friendly conversation. During that time he openly admitted his feelings for Brennan, and I am not talking about the regularly confessed impure thoughts I have been subjected to in the confessional for so many years prior. I also got a glimpse of some, though by no means all, of the obstacles in front of Seeley and Brennan. One in particular I wanted to strangle, though I wisely kept those violent thoughts to my self and confessed to internally as opposed to my confessor. I hate to think what he would have given me for penance for those thoughts.

Dr. Lance Sweets. Now I have heard much about this young man, the so-called twelve year old according to Seeley, in a variety of contexts. From knowledgeable, helpful profiler to meddling know it all moron, again all from Seeley, the young man has invaded the subject area of many conversations. During Seeley's recovery from the surgery and amnesia (I have my doubts about it being true amnesia given what I now know about a certain deleted book that Brennan wrote and read out loud to Seeley while he was in the coma) he worked with Seeley to become field qualified again for the FBI. Brennan, foolishly in my mind, went on a dig somewhere for six weeks during this time, which hampered Seeley's recovery to some extent.

But I digress. When Brennan returned Seeley was desiring to tell her that he was in love with her. He was nervous, agitated, and the case they were working on kept him on edge. But he was ready. Until Dr. Sweets interfered. That so-called therapist actually in the face of the previous years told Seeley that the before and after brain scans showed that he wasn't actually in love with Brennan. As a result when the moment of truth came, Seeley chickened out. He told her he loved her, that much is true, but then he did something that was monumentally stupid. He told her that it was in "an atta girl sorta way."

Now I must be candid. Over the years both of them had made the mistakes that had kept them apart. I am sure that I do not know all of them, or even a substantial portion of them, but it is an accurate observation. I also know that many would argue that despite what Sweets had done it was Seeley who qualified his statement, not Sweets. But Seeley and Brennan look, and in many ways crave, validation for what they feel. In a professional situation they are confident and forthright. Not so in a personal context. Even Brennan's bravado when it comes to the subject of sex is more about ability than emotional confidence. I can only imagine how painful Seeley's qualifier was to Brennan's emotional stability regarding Seeley.

Once again the events of the beginning of a new year of working together set the tone for the whole year.

This year, though, had a bit of a different feel to it. Granted I am an outside observer without all the facts to go by, but it is possible to piece together a common thread. That thread was miscommunication. Now I am sure that many, if they had looked on at the Seeley/Brennan relationship would say that that was a common thread throughout, but this particular year it was at a crisis level. In the past it was from something other than avoiding feelings. Preservation of the partnership, perhaps? Not wanting to risk the incredible friendship they depended on? This year, though, I believe that they each knew their feelings, and at different points were ready to act on them, but the timing, and the words, simply weren't there. Or maybe an interruption or two at an inopportune moment?

That last one is definitely apparent on two specific occasions.

The first was somewhat serious as Brennan had earlier, in the course of a case, accepted a date from Seeley's supervisor, a man named Andrew Hacker. I have never met the man personally, but from what I hear from everyone, including Brennan, he is somewhat of an idiot. Maybe I should not be too judgmental about him given my not knowing him at all, but I am hearing this from people whose opinions I trust. Brennan freely admits she had accepted the date for one purpose and that was to end her sexual celibacy, and Hacker was a man who was constantly on the prowl. Seeley, of course, was furious. The date was interrupted, thankfully, and never done over, with the exception of a single lunch later in the year. At the end of the case an awkward moment ensued, just like in a soap opera, and it found Seeley and Brennan about to kiss. You guessed it. They were interrupted by the Squint Squad. I have rarely seen Seeley so angry in the aftermath of something with Brennan, but when he came in to confession the next day the thoughts of destruction, death, and mayhem that he was confessing to regarding the group made me seriously wonder about whether I should call the police myself.

The second incident was during the Christmas holiday which found Seeley covered with parts of a human body which had been blown up. I prayed for the soul of the unfortunate victim when I heard of this. It seems that Brennan took it upon herself to gather the _evidence_ from Seeley's person. _**Personally**_. That meant using tweezers and other _torture implements _(Seeley's words, not mine) and then stripping off his clothes down to his boxer shorts and socks. According to Seeley she batted his hand away when he tried to unbuckle his belt and undo his pants himself, and proceeded to do so herself. Seeley being Seeley, his **_control_** was less than perfect and he resorted to an old standby for him: naming Saints. He says it wasn't working so well and when Brennan was on her knees in front of him having just pulled down his pants, the door opened and they were interrupted. Being a man of God I don't know whether I should have been pleased with the interruption, or frustrated at the continuing soap opera feel of all this, but Seeley once more came in to confession with murder on his mind. Evidently he had been about to throw caution to the wind and make, at long last, a move. Brennan has admitted to me that she had been about to, as well.

By the three quarter mark of this year of the partnership some serious progress had been made, though, too. During a case in New Mexico they spent an evening watching the stars on the hood of the SUV. Perfect moment one might say, but they let it go by, each acknowledging since that it would have cheapened the moment if something more had happened. Another mark of progress was the closeness that developed almost instantly between Seeley's beloved Grandfather, Hank Booth, and Brennan. I can honestly say that if there was no affection felt for his grandfather by the woman he was interested in, Seeley would not be interested in continuing any relationship. Needless to say, Hank pressed them mercilessly, and I have to confess that when I had heard about it I called Hank, who I've known for years, and congratulated him, while at the same time sharing my own frustration, at least in so far as it did not violate any confidences.

But, like all good things, something happened. Now I can't be terribly sure of all the details, as neither seems willing to discuss the matter even to this day, so the only thing I have to go on is the initial frustration that Seeley admitted to the day after it happened.

He came in looking both thoroughly despondent, and extremely angry all in one. It was hard to tell what was going on, but he kept mumbling about Sweets, firing squads, and inordinate amounts of pain and suffering before the execution. I figured, and nothing has caused me to reconsider this, that Sweets had said or done something that had put a wedge between him and Brennan. I sat him down and all he would say was that he had to move on personally, and that he wondered what he had done to upset God so much that he was willing to gamble on the most important thing in his life. I confess that I wasn't much use in this situation as I was not able to glean the details from him, and I was not about to approach Brennan on this. I did, however, spend some time with him reassuring him that God was not angry with him, and that he had nothing to fear with respect to gambling, considering how fastidious he was about attending his weekly meetings and focusing his attentions on those he loved.

For a few weeks this continued off and on, and I felt myself disheartened when he admitted to dating someone. He also admitted that he had cut off sessions with Sweets except for when the young man was doing some profiling work for them. I didn't see Brennan during this time, so I am not sure if she dated anyone, but I somehow doubt that she did, with the exception of one short lunch meeting with Hacker, which Seeley mentioned with an angry undertone one day.

The fallout of all of this was something that still makes me wonder if I am doing all that I should as a Priest, especially Seeley's Priest.

The trial of the Gravedigger was a trying time for everyone, especially with all the drama attached to it, and the emotional toll on Brennan and Seeley was enormous. By that time Seeley had essentially admitted to himself that moving on had not worked for him, and now Brennan was beginning to distance herself somewhat. At this time two unrelated, yet intertwined, events occurred. First was that Brennan got an offer to work on a year long dig on the Indonesian island of Maluku. Second was that Seeley was approached by the Army to go to Afghanistan for a year and train soldiers in capture techniques as well as some sniper roles.

From the outset it was obvious that each was conflicted about what to do, especially as it meant being apart for a year. The one short conversation with Brennan I had I encouraged her to talk with Seeley. I got the impression that her desire to go was related somehow to him, and at the same time, paradoxically, her not wanting to go was also about him. I don't know how effective my counsel was, but I do know she went on the dig.

Seeley, though, was torn on so many levels. Even after all these years his service in the military haunted him. While I am no expert by any means, I would not be surprised to find that he still suffers from a residual case of PTSD from his original service as a sniper. That, coupled with the emotions surrounding an incident involving JFK's remains that he wouldn't discuss, lead me to suspect that he was genuinely fearful of what he would become if he went back in. He was also not sure if he should leave Brennan like that. He had always promised to be there for her, and now it seemed as if he may be running, despite her own opportunity for a professional leave.

How do you counsel someone under those circumstances? I felt wholly inadequate to the task. I prayed, and spent long hours in meditation. Finally, I knew what I had to say to him. I sat him down and said that any decision had to be made with his best interests in mind. Put aside Brennan, Parker, and everything else. Unless he could say that this was right for **_him_**, he had to decline. If he went in under those circumstances, then it was for all the right reasons, and he could deal with the emotional side issues once and for all. He could also return with his head held high, and be the person that he needed to be for those he cared about the most. I didn't tell him that I hoped he stayed, as it would be an undue influence, but I told him that he needed to talk to Brennan honestly once he did decide. To this day I don't know if he had that conversation, but given the pain and emotional trauma of when they returned some months later, I suspect any conversation they had had was not what I had counseled.

I won't hide the fact that when the two of them went their separate ways, I was genuinely concerned about both of them. I spent long hours in prayerful concern, as well as in confession admitting my inadequacy. Thus ended the fifth year of their partnership, and it was not on a happy note.

_A/N: Kind of awkward, but I hope that the distance of an outside observer shines through, as well as the concern. Sorry about the delay. I hope you all enjoyed it. Gregg._


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you for the response to the last chapter. It's been a lot of fun writing this one. Now we get to see Father Mitch's view of season six. I'll be honest and admit I did not care for season six, and as such I will be having Mitch have a bit more distant, and uninformed, view of events than normal. I hope the approach works for this chapter. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

I had hoped during the seven months that Seeley and Brennan were gone would bring about some positive steps in their long hoped for relationship, but once again such hopes were thwarted by the soap opera aspects that seemed to dominate. During that seven months I had been contacted a couple of times by Seeley, but nothing significant had been discussed. He had simply wanted a familiar voice to listen to some inner thoughts. Given all that had happened the previous year, I did not bring up the subject of Brennan, and he didn't volunteer anything.

It was at the end of seven months that Seeley suddenly showed up one afternoon. I was shocked as it was supposed to be another five months before he was to return. He looked in excellent shape, no doubt from spending a great deal of time working out in his spare time. There was something about him, though, that I couldn't quite pinpoint. I soon found out.

Seeley had found a girlfriend. And not just any girlfriend. A beautiful blonde girlfriend. That would have been bad enough, but that wasn't the only strike in the count. She was a reporter. A beautiful, blonde reporter as his girlfriend? Given my personal feelings on the matter of Seeley and Brennan I was sorely tempted to ask him if he was out of his mind. I didn't out of respect of my role as his priest and confessor, but also out of respect of Seeley himself. Even as a wilder college jock he had always had a real sense of responsibility about him, and I was not about to call that into question now.

I did question him about how he was doing after having been back in a war zone and the likely ops he had had to participate in. I could sense some unease, but nothing like what he had been like when he was originally in the military. He spoke for a while about some of the unclassified things he'd been involved in. As I suspected, he had gone in for the right reasons this time, and was firmly in control of his demons. Then I asked him about Brennan. That was when I knew.

Seeley had a pained expression on his face, but put out a false sense of bravado telling me that she was fine, and that he had been honest about Hannah, the reporter he was involved with. When I asked about Brennan's reaction he clammed up. I'm sure it was all above board, and he said as much (but nothing else), so I knew that somehow he realized that she had come to an epiphany and was ready for what she had rejected the previous Spring. This was going to be difficult, and I was not sure I had the wherewithal to actually counsel them on this one.

I am quite sure that Seeley was less than thrilled with my somewhat lukewarm response to his news. Surely that was what kept him from coming in very often. His confessions were less and less often than in the past, and they were generally sedate by comparison, and almost never mentioned Brennan.

I did get a slight clue in on who this Hannah was, though not from Seeley. Brennan herself came to visit twice during the time that Seeley was involved with the blonde reporter. The first time was a few weeks after the woman had moved in with Seeley. Surprisingly, Brennan actually liked the woman. The way I understand it, Hanna was one of the few people who had ever approached her and wanted to be friends with no seemingly ulterior motive. I could tell that despite the obvious pain over Seeley having moved on, the overtures on the part of Hannah were important to Brennan. She also said something very telling. She said that she wanted Seeley to be happy. I saw the sadness in her emotions for a fleeting second, but the words were genuine. Brennan had grown emotionally in the time that she had been away. It gave me a bit of hope on the chance that this new relationship Seeley was in didn't work out.

The second visit proved my suspicions regarding Brennan. She came in one afternoon, slightly disheveled, which was a far cry from the always composed, well dressed lady who usually showed up for a small chat. She asked me if I would be willing to hear her out, but not in the role of a confessor, which she did not believe in. I told her that I would be happy to listen to her as a friend. It turns out that the night before she had almost been killed when she had not been paying attention to an oncoming car when she was walking across a street. Fortunately Seeley was in the vicinity and saved her. When she was in the SUV with him she broke down and admitted her true feelings. She let him know she knew she had made a serious mistake the year before in rejecting him, and that she was sorry. I can imagine how much it cost her emotionally to admit that, given how confidant and sure of herself she usually is. I instantly knew what Seeley had done in the face of that admission, and she confirmed it when she said that Seeley had told her that he was involved with Hannah now and that she was not a consolation prize.

We talked for a while, and I told her that she had been right to tell Seeley. Maybe it was too late, but he deserved to know the truth. It can be a raw, and dangerous emotional wound in a person to think that someone you cared so much for, even loved, for so long, didn't return those feelings. When she left, I feel that for the first time in all the times that she had come to visit, I had made some headway and actually helped her somehow.

I didn't see either of them again until a fateful day when Seeley came in one morning, obviously very hungover, and looking despondent. I had a strong suspicion as to what happened, but I let him tell me.

It turns out that Seeley had been blinded by his fondest dreams. As a result he had not really listened to what Hannah had been telling him. She loved him, though not necessarily _**in**_ love, but she had no real desire to be married. Seeley, thinking in terms of what he wanted more than anything, someone to love and be loved by for 30, 40, or 50 years. He bought a ring and proposed. Hannah, staying true to what she had been telling him, turned him down. They were now officially over, and the night before Seeley had gotten very drunk. Now he was here at the church talking to me.

Once more I felt inadequate in counseling Seeley. I could understand the disappointment. I could even, to a degree, understand the anger that was coming off of him in waves. But for the first time I could ever remember, Seeley was genuinely questioning his Faith in God. Oh, he'd asked rhetorical questions in the past, and it was always in relation to some relatively benign, though important, event, but he'd never been on such a narrow precipice before. How does someone counsel someone whose Faith was such a fundamental part of them, and now was questioning that very foundation darkly, and seriously?

I decided that the best way to let him deal with this was to simply listen to what he had to say about what he was feeling. Seeley was too prone to holding things in, with some exceptions like confession, so I reasoned to myself that perhaps simply giving him an open, and inviting, escape to let out his feelings would be the best way to make him see what was always in front of him: God's love and forgiveness of his sins.

After that day I saw Seeley very regularly. He wasn't coming to confession, and I didn't press him on that as he was working his way back to his Faith, but I made sure he knew that my door was always open. I was happy to listen to the amusing stories of what was happening with Brennan. I cracked up when he told me of how excited she was to go through an exhibit of dead, putrefying bodies during a case. Seeley, naturally, was disgusted by the whole experience, but his eyes shown a genuine happiness when he talked of how excited Brennan was. I don't think she realized how much she was healing him just by her excitement and the joy of their work together. I began to feel much better about what was happening to Seeley for the first time in a long time.

During this time Seeley came into the church in a very excited mood. Still avoiding confession, he got straight to the point. He told me he felt at peace. Considering his anger and questioning of Faith, I expressed my surprise, and encouraged him to elaborate. Apparently he and Brennan had gotten stuck in an elevator at his building during the severe storm a couple of days previously. During the course of that day he and Bones began to open up about what was happening, and in a very happy tone Seeley said that Bones had referred to the possibility of sex between them as "making love". Knowing what I do about her general views on sex, I have to admit that this was a major step forward, and demonstrated how much she'd grown in the past year. Booth also opened up about his anger somewhat, and he told me that he and Bones were finally on the same page about the possibility of a relationship. His little writing a date on a slip of paper and burning it was also, in my mind, a good step for both of them. It brought to mind the old adage _Hope Springs Eternal_.

It was also during this time that a case, or group of cases came up that bore heavily on Seeley, and hence, on Brennan, as well. It seems that a former military sniper, one who Seeley knew well, was on his own personal mission, with no government sanctions for the sniper hits he committed. Seeley felt betrayed, and made it his own mission to bring in Broadsky. It brought to the fore all of Seeley's insecurities about his sniper past, but it also helped him. Booth needed to see a genuine difference between the kind of missions he undertook, and the personal, vigilante style of missions that Broadsky created for himself. I personally believe that it allowed Seeley to put to rest the deep moral qualms he'd had for so long, despite his personal abhorrence of killing.

During this case a fine young man, a Vincent Nigel-Murray, was killed helping Seeley and Brennan find and take down Broadsky. Seeley felt horrible as he had handed the phone to Vincent and Broadsky shot the young man who had the phone, obviously thinking it was Seeley through the thermal imager. Brennan faced a crisis of her own when the young man seemingly begged them not to send him away as he wasn't ready. True to her beliefs, she did not consider the possibility that the young man was talking to God, despite his own atheism. The old phrase _there are_ _no atheists in foxholes_ weighed heavily on my mind when I heard of all this. That night, according to Seeley, Brennan came to him and they made love.

Brennan came into the church not too long after and I was shocked to see her light a candle. When I approached her I asked if there was anything I could help her with. She explained that despite her own beliefs, and young Vincent's, she wanted to light a candle in his memory. I sat down with her and she gave her own rendition of her night with Seeley, how he had comforted her, and how she had finally been able to break through her barriers. She was slightly concerned about _**why**_ it happened, but not that it did. I tried to assure her that it was alright. I didn't dare mention the moral aspects of the question of pre-marital relations, as I knew she would not appreciate it one bit, and would possibly break off any form of friendship with me. I respect her, and grow in my faith through our conversations, so I will not disrespect her like that and lose that fragile ray of hope in my, and her, life.

A few weeks later I got the shock of a lifetime. Seeley and Brennan entered the church one evening late, and Brennan sat silently by Seeley as he knelt in silent prayer, and then stood by him as he reverently lit a candle. Moving over to them I greeted them and they gave me what was easily the shock of the decade for me. Brennan was pregnant with Seeley's baby! I mentally chuckled when I recalled Seeley once a couple of years before saying in confession he had super sperm and could populate his own planet. At that moment of hearing the blessed news I don't think I could have been more shocked if the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, himself personally called me and announced the elevation of this humble priest to the Cardinalate. Imagine that miracle (or dare I say nightmare?), Cardinal Mitch? I think not. I am so not worthy of such a level of responsibility in God's plan.

God does indeed work in mysterious ways. I had began to wonder if this day would ever come about. Imagine. Seeley and Brennan having a child together, and in the normal fashion (though without a marriage, sadly). They are together, and I believe will be very happy. That doesn't mean there won't be any pitfalls along the way. Those should allow me to have some more soap opera moments. Now I'm curious if Seeley will be confessing to anymore impure thoughts. It'll definitely be interesting to find out. Now I'm off to see my own confessor.

_A/N: I hope this rendition of season six meets with your approval. I am deciding whether to end the story with an epilogue, or allow it to continue with a couple of AU seasons. I'd love to get some feedback on that one. Gregg._


	8. Chapter 8

_After a great deal of consideration, and a couple of e-mail conversations, I have decided to end this one with an epilogue rather than continuing on with a couple of AU seasons. Thank you to everyone who has been following this story and for all the great reviews. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Some who aren't Catholic, or even a Christian, may ask what all of the previous ramblings have to do with a confession. An honest question, and one, thankfully, that I have an honest answer to. Before I close this missive, which no one will ever read, I will give my answer.

I consider it a privilege to hear confession from my parishioners. I consider it the closest relationship I have to God when dealing with the multitude of issues in the lives of my parishioners. I celebrate Mass every morning, and on some days more than once, but it is hearing confession that brings me closer to God.

In looking back on those seven years of dealing with Seeley and Brennan, I can honestly say that I likely made numerous mistakes. Of course those mistakes were all in serving my calling as one of God's servants and representatives, but they were mistakes. I freely confess to them, and have many times with my own confessor. My inadequacies in the task of counseling two such independent, stubborn, and special individuals are too many to enumerate.

Did I in some small way manage to keep hope alive with those two? Possibly. Did I allow my personal feelings to influence how I proceeded in dealing with them, despite my obligations as a priest? Definitely. Am I willing to confess to that, and do penance as handed down by my confessor? Most assuredly, and I have for many years each time I confess to anything having to do with Seeley and Brennan, and for some time now their children who come to confession regularly.

But why confess to this now? Because I am about to embark on a new role in my calling as a priest. Not long after Seeley and Brennan informed me of her pregnancy I was made a Bishop. I was humbled, and felt deeply inadequate to such a calling, but was heartened that I was to be allowed to carry on my ministry in Washington, DC. Seeley and his children came to me for confession, and to my amusement I still handed down any number of Hail Mary's and Our Father's for impure thoughts, in addition to continuing to call him a pervert. It seemed that finally having the Prize, as Seeley called it, didn't lessen the thoughts in any way. Brennan came to me very regularly as a friend and our conversations continued unabated.

I officiated at their wedding, a secular affair that I got special dispensation to perform, just after the birth of their first child. According to Brennan, she had found a good reason to get married, and that she could only imagine that such a reason could come from Seeley. She still does not attend Mass, and only visits with me in a personal, friends only manner, but after a long time of wondering if perhaps I was not convincing enough on this side of the argument over religion, I let it go. She had good reasons for her stance, and it had not kept her from being the kind of person that anyone with an ounce of sense would be honored to call a friend. In my own mind I feel that God will understand, on both her behalf, as well as mine.

But back to the reason for this written confession. I am about to be honored with the receiving of the Red Hat by His Holiness, The Pope. I once thought it would be such a miracle (or a curse) that would bring about Seeley and Brennan getting together. Now I will have to suffer being referred to as _**Cardinal Mitch**_ by Seeley, even if I am to be known as Mitchell Cardinal Stevens officially. As I embark on this impossibly journey as a Prince of the Church I wanted to begin with a clean slate on the one element of my many years in the Priesthood that has made me wonder over and over about my worthiness in my holy calling. Now I am confessing to what I know of those seven years, and my inadequacies from that time. I can begin my Cardinalate with a clear conscience.

As for Seeley and Brennan? I will be seeing them soon enough. I am going to be heading the Washington, DC Diocese. It seems that no matter how high such an unworthy man goes in the Church, I will be forever saddled with looking over the lives of my two dear friends. My confession? Even admitting my inadequacies, I wouldn't have had it any other way, despite all the time in confession I spent, especially after Seeley's more _**detailed**_ confessions.

I offer this confession to you, My Lord, in the hopes of redemption and absolution that I may serve you in any capacity you may desire. I ask your forgiveness, and your Grace. Amen.

Bishop Mitch signed his name, followed by his episcopal motto at the bottom of the page. He considered burning it as he'd originally thought, but then he allowed himself a small smile. Taking an envelope from the desk, he folded the numerous pages together and slipped them in the envelope, sealing it with the old fashioned wax seal with his episcopal crest. On the front a moment later when the wax cooled, he wrote _**Seeley and Temperance Booth. **_

The door opened and a young priest entered.

"His Holiness is ready, Your Eminence," the young man said formally.

"Thank you," Mitch said as he stood, his robes settling appropriately. He handed the envelope to the young man. "Please see to it that this is given to these people. They will be in the front row of witnesses."

"Yes, Your Eminence," the Priest said and left the room.

Mitch smiled. He was sure that his two friends would enjoy seeing what his perspective of those seven years would be, and maybe see just how right Seeley must have been all those years ago when he said he ahd just met **_THE ONE_**. He took a breath, calmed himself, crossed himself, and walked through the door and on to the next step in his journey in God's service.

_A/N: I hope this short epilogue is okay. I debated something a bit more over the top, but decided finally to keep it within the framework of the seriousness of the previous chapters and purpose of the story. I hope you all enjoy it. Gregg._


End file.
